Rivet button



Sept. l2, 1939.

RIVET BUTTON Filed March 26, 1938 17,0' rcea;

mommy Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES eATaNT oFFicE RIVET BUTTON Application March 26,

3 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in buttons, and more particularly to what I term a molded rivet button, that is, a plastic button in which there is fitted or embedded a stud or rivet, which is vto be upset in a burr or clenching member to thus tightly hold the button to the cloth.

In the principal embodiment of the invention, there is provided a molded button having a stud or rivet tightly embedded therein, the rivet, in turn, having a tapered scored central bore, which extends partway the length of the rivet, and there is further provided a closure or clenching member with an anvil formed therein, the clenching member being so arranged that the deformed prongs of the rivet will be set and encased within the clenching member during the attaching operation. Y

An object of the invention is to provide a button with its embedded rivet, which may be fed through an automatic button-attaching machine and the scored end of the rivet upset Within the clenching member vduring the attaching operation, so that not only will the garment have 25 a neat appearance to the rear of `the rivet, but the attaching operation may be carried on in a rapid manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a button wherein the rivet or attaching means is upset within the clenching member on the far side of the cloth rather than in the head of the button, which is the usual procedure in tack buttons of the metal or plastic type.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a plastic button that may be readilyattached in a button-attaching machine and wherein the button head carries its own rivet, it only being necessary to jam a clenching member on the end of the rivet, so that the rivet will split while in the clenching member and the unsightly resultant prongs or ends will be lencased in the clenching member rather than having them clenched directly on the cloth.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 45 vide a slightly modified form of Abutton known as an open-top button and wherein the stud is tted in through the open top of the button and the stud upset to prevent the same from dropping out of the button while being handled 55 be .upset within theiclenching, member and to either before received in the button-attachingy 1938, Serial No. 198,317

provide a further shoulder on the stud, so that the button head may swivel or tilt slightly within the ngers, which makes it easier to pass it through the buttonhole.

With these and other objects in view, the in- 5 Vention consists incertain new and novel features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter morev fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now tothe drawing showing a prel ferred embodiment and one modification,

Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of my improved rivet button before the attaching operation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional vieW of the burr or clench- 15 ing member supported on an anvil ready for the attaching operation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the burr or clenching member;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the stud or rivet before being embedded in the button head;

Fig. `6 is a further enlarged bottom plan View showing the scoring in the end of the rivet;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the button with 25 the cloth in section to show the button in its attached form;

Fig. '7a is a similar sectional view thereof;

Fig.V 8 isa bottom plan view with the burr broken away to show how the deformed `ends of the rivet are clenched within the same;

Fig. 9 shows a slight modification, the button beingfseen in section and showing how the rivet is upset Within the button head to prevent its loss in handling and also showing a further washer fitting against an additional shoulder on the stud.

Referring now more particularly to the several views, and for the moment to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, there is shown a button head l, which may be of any desired molded composition, while shown embedded therein is the stud or rivet 2, which is provided with the slightlyenlarged head 3. There may also be noticed the shoulder 4 formed on the stud, as this may act as a stop for positioning the studs within the dies (not shown) for the molding operation.

It will be noticed that there is an annulus or space 5 in the bottom ii of the button head, so that the molded composition does not contact with the stud for a slight distance from the bottom surface 6 of the button. The purpose of the space is so that when the stud or rivet is split and deformed,V the shock vof bending will not be transferred to the molded button at this point, as otherwise the button head might split or chip.

Centrally of the stud may be noticed the tapered bore or opening l, which is scored, as at 8, and although I have shown four scores, so that the rivets will split into four prongs, a lesser number or a greater number of scores and resultant prongs might equally as well be provided for.

By having the tapered opening, as shown, rather than a straight central bore, more metal is left near what will be the resultant inner ends of the prongs.

It will be understood that instead of having the rivet scored, it might have a plurality of slits and likewise a plurality of prongs, as these would then pierce the cloth individually and in that way not cut as many threads of the cloth in the attaching operation.

Referring now for the moment to Fig. 2, there is shown the burr or clenching member-9, into which is to be forced the lower end of the stud, as will be shortly mentioned. This burr or clenching member is formed of one` piece of metal I0, which is bent back on itself, as at Il In the vbottom of the burr, th-e metal is centrally and upwardly displaced, as at I4, to form what might be termed the anvil. The vupper surface I I of theclenching member has the central aperture I5 disposed directly above the anvil.

It will be noticedthat there is a space between the upper and-lower walls of the clenching member, as between these walls are to be jammed the prongs I5, which jamming occurs during the attaching operation. The clenching member 9 will, of course, be supported in a button-attaching machine (not shown) kby theanvilIZ, which will be cut out in its upper surface as at.l3, to match the contour of the under surface of the clenching member. Thus, when the rivet is driven within the clenching member, the prongs will not be forced through the clenching member but will be deformed, as clearly shown in Fig. '7a.

The actual attaching operation is very similar to the manner in which-tack buttons ares-ecured to a garment, that is, the stud vor rivet-will be forced through the cloth, and directly beneath the stud and o-n the under surface of the cloth Il will be the burr or clenching member, so that the backed-up anvil I4 will cause the rivet to split and spread the resultant prongsIB within the clenching member when the button head is in its nal position.

As will be noticed in Figs. 'land 7a, rather than having the unsightly ends of the splitrivet visible, they will be completely hidden within the clenching member 9, while theclenching member will look like an ordinary head of a tack used in conjunction with the ordinary tack biutton. By splitting the rivet into several radially extending prongs, the button, after being attached, will never pull away from the cloth.

There is a decided advantage in providing a rivet of this kind rather than a tack, as the present arrangement permits the attachment of buttons to a garment wherein there are a plurality of thicknesses of the cloth. In the ordinary tack button, there is a limited space for the tack point to deform inside of the vise and the limited spacev of the vise would not accommodate a great range of tack lengths. However, in the present invention, the space inside of the clenching member, due largely to its generous diameter, makes it possible to hold the ends of the stud, whether they reach the inner peripheral edge of the clenching member or onlypartway thereof. Thus, it will be seen that this button can be applied to a garment with from two to seven or eight thicknesses, which is not possible with the ordinary form of tack fastening means.

As heretofore mentioned, rather than having the rivet merely scored, the rivet might be preliminarily split and the prongs would be spread and deformed in exactly the same manner as if the rivet were scored.

Referring now to the modified form shown, in Fig. 9, it will be understood that the same form of clenching member is used, but the stud 2 is fitted within the head la, which has the open top, as at Ib. Furthermore, there is a shoulder 4a, which is upset after the stud is fitted within the button head, so that it will not shake or drop 'from the button head while in the button cup of a button-attaching machine (not shown). Likewise, there may be provided the additional shoulder 4b, against which may t a washer I8. Thus,

4when Ythe button is attached, the washer will contact with the cloth on its one face and the burr or clenching member on its other face and vthe undersurface of the button head held slightly frOmthe. cloth. This will permit a tilting of the button head with respect to the stud, which is a desirable feature.

It will be understood that in bothfforms, the upsetting of the prongs within the clenching member is exactly the same.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that rather than deforming a tack or rivet within the button head, I have deformed a stud within the burr or clenching member, thus doing away with the necessity of any anvils and dies that are ordinarily enclosed within the button head.

Finally, if the rivet were merely upset on the far side of the cloth, there would be a likelihood of the prongs becoming rusted as well as unsightly, Whereas in the present embodiment, the prongs are encased within the burr and the prongs are Widely spread to more tightly hold the button in its attached position.

It will be understood that the button is one that is relatively inexpensive to manufactura' as there are just three parts in the preferred form, to wit, the button head, the stud, and the clenching member, while in the modied form, there are four parts, that is, an additional washer, but the result is a button that is capable of tilting or swiveling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A one-piece plastic button head having an integral hub, a stud having a flanged head for holding purposes within the button head, the shank of the stud extending beyond the lower surface of the said'hub, the under surface of the hub being centrally recessed, the said stud being hollow at its lower end and extending from a plane just below the lowermost plane of the hub, the diameter of the stud at the hollow portion being slightly less than the diameter of the recessed portion of said hub to prevent cracking of the button head during the attaching operation, a hollow clenching member having an opening in its upper surface and adapted to receive the hollow end of the stud, and the hollow end of the stud adapted to split into prongs and be encased within said clenching member during the button-attaching operation.

2. A solid plastic button head, a stud having a flanged upper portioniirmly embedded centrally within the plastic button head, the said stud being reduced about centrally of its length; the said button head having a central recess of greater diameter than the reduced portion of the stud, the said stud being hollow in that portion which extends below the lowermost plane of the button head and having slits therein, a hollow clenching member having an opening in its upper surface and adapted to receive the hollow end of the stud, the hollow end of the stud adapted to split into prongs and be encased in said clenching member during the button-attaching operation, and the space about the stud and the button head preventing a splitting of the button head during an attaching operation.

3. A plastic button head having a central recess in its upper surface and a central recess in its lower surface, a stud within the button head having an enlarged flange to contact with the bottom wall of the recessed portion in the top surface, the stud being upturned to cooperate with the bottom wall of the recess in the lower portion of the button head to thereby prevent the stud from disengagement with the button head, the stud being less in diameter than the diameter of the recess in the bottom portion of the button head, the lower end of the stud being hollow where it projects below the bottom edge of the button head and said hollow portion of the stud being scored, a hollow clenching member having an opening in its upper surface and adapted to receive the hollow end of the stud, the hollow end of the stud adapted to split into prongs and be encased in said olenching member during the button-attaching operation, and the space about the hub preventing a cracking of the plastic button head during the attaching operation.

FORREST G. PURINTON. 

